Ryan White Part B Program

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment's CARE Program works to ensure that all Kansans living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) have access to the resources and care needed to achieve the highest quality of life possible. 

The CARE Program is responsible for the administration of the federal Ryan White Part Part B Program, which can assist with medical case management services, providing clients with linkages to health, social and wrap-around services from key access points across Kansas. Part B includes the following services:

  • Dental care services
  • Medical case management
  • Medications through statewide AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP)
  • Mental health and substance use services through the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program
  • Primary care services

Ryan White funding is considered the payer of last resort, which means if a client has access to other forms of support, such as private insurance or Medicaid, those forms of support must be utilized first. Part B  is dependent on federal authorization and funding, so it is possible that funding for services might not be available for an entire year.

  1. History
  2. Mission & Vision

History of the Ryan White Program

Prior to the federal enactment of The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act, the state of Kansas had been assisting Kansans living with HIV by using resources that included private donations from community-based organizations, as well as state and federal funding for a statewide AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), which was established in 1987. 

In response to the AIDS crisis, Congress enacted the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act in 1990 to improve the availability of care for low-income, uninsured, and underinsured individuals and families affected by HIV and AIDS across the United States.

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act is the primary funder for HIV/AIDS health and social services including primary medical care, medication assistance, health insurance assistance, mental health counseling, substance use treatment, home health care, dental care, and medical case management. Ryan White CARE funding and administration are managed by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is the state-level agency within Kansas that distributes and manages Ryan White Part B and the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) as mandated by the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act.

Part B can only be used as the payer of last resort when no other funding is available, and it is dependent on federal authorization and funding.